Aircraft seat assembly

Abstract

An aircraft seat assembly comprises a continuous row of a plurality of seats including a convertible aisle seat at one end of the row and one or more other seats. The seats are moveable between (i) a first configuration in which all of the seats are positioned in a useable position and a second configuration in which (a) the convertible seat is positioned in an unusable position in the row, (b) said one or more other seats are positioned in a useable position, and (c) the row of seats has a length, along the row, that is less than the length of the row in the first configuration for example by a distance of more than half the width of the convertible seat in the first configuration. The width of said one or more other seats may remain unchanged as between the first and second configurations.

1. An aircraft seat assembly, wherein the assembly comprises a continuous row of a plurality of aircraft seats configured for installation in an aircraft, including a foldable seat at one end of the row and one or more other seats, and wherein the seats are moveable between
 (i) a first configuration in which all of the seats are positioned in a useable position and 
 (ii) a second configuration in which (a) the foldable seat is folded into a collapsed position in the row so that the foldable seat is unusable, (b) said one or more other seats are positioned in a useable position, and (c) the row of seats has a length, along the row, that is less than the length of the row in the first configuration by a distance more than half the width of the foldable seat in the first configuration, the width of said one or more other seats remaining unchanged as between the first and second configurations, wherein the foldable seat includes a foldable seat base comprising a front foldable portion and a rear foldable portion, the front portion being foldable about a substantially horizontal axis such that in the second configuration the folded front portion extends above the vertical position of the front portion in the first configuration and such that in the second configuration the folded rear portion extends below the vertical position of the rear portion in the first configuration. 
 
     
     
       2. An aircraft seat assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the foldable seat comprises a inner side adjacent to the seat in the row that in the first configuration is adjacent to the foldable seat and an outer side at said one end of the row, the sides of the seat being moveable towards and away from each other. 
     
     
       3. An aircraft seat assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein each of the seats in the row comprise a seat base, the widths of the seat bases of the seats in the row in the first configuration being substantially the same. 
     
     
       4. An aircraft fuselage in which there is installed an aircraft seat assembly according to  claim 1 . 
     
     
       5. An aircraft including an aircraft fuselage according to  claim 4 . 
     
     
       6. An aircraft seat assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the foldable seat comprises a foldable seat back that is foldable about a substantially upright axis, and a foldable seat base that is foldable about a substantially horizontal axis. 
     
     
       7. An aircraft fuselage according to  claim 4  in which there is a further continuous row of a plurality of seats, there being defined an aisle-space between the two rows, wherein each row of seats includes a foldable seat at the end of the row next to the aisle-space and one or more other seats, the seats being moveable between
 i) a first configuration in which all of the seats are positioned in a useable position 
 ii) a second configuration in which each foldable seat is folded into a collapsed position in the row so that the foldable seat is unusable, and said one or more seats are positioned in a usable position, 
 the width of the aisle-space in the second configuration is greater than the width of the aisle-space in the first configuration, and 
 the width of said one or more other seats remaining unchanged as between the first and second configurations.